A Father For A Son
by fivefootthreeinches
Summary: One Shot. We all know when Naruto was marrying Hinata he asked Iruka to act as his father for the ceremony... But who did the highly aloof Uchiha heir ask to fill the role when marrying his pink haired teammate?


"I have something important to ask you."

Kakashi lazily looked up from his prized Icha Icha tactics manuscript (birthday gift from Jiraiya, the first draft of the next book he would have published had he still been alive. It was the only copy in the world that existed) to regard the intruder. There were only 3 people in Konoha who would enter his office unannounced, one was somewhere in Wind Country gambling her earnings as Godaime in some seedy bar, the other had just returned from his honeymoon with his beautiful Hyuga bride. The third was here, in all his dark broody glory looking expectantly at the deceptively laid back older man.

"Sasuke-kun" Kakashi drawled, voice full of that lazy amusement that grinded on the Uchiha's nerves as a genin, "to what do I owe the pleasure of you interrupting my review of important Konoha documentation?"

"Important Kono-you're just reading that pathetic smut you're always reading"

"Icha Icha is an important Konoha document"

"It's porn, nothing worth writing home about"

"...you know I can have you're executed for hearsay right?"

"Kakashi," Sasuke growled, causing the already uneasy ANBU in the shadows to flicker their chakra towards Kakashi, questioning whether Sasuke was safe to be around. Kakashi made a show of lazily waving his hand, which doubled as a dismissal of Sasuke's irritation and quelling the fears of his personal guard.

"Maa maa Sasuke-kun" Kakashi crinkled his eyes in amusement at the eye twitch he got from the former Avenger at his given pet name, "you're upsetting my ANBU. You should apologize."

Sasuke paused here and seemed to look around uncertainly, as if just realizing that they weren't alone. That raised a red flag immediately to Kakashi. A shinobi of Sasuke's caliber would (and should) be able to detect the admittedly well concealed presence of the five shinobi in the shadows of the Hokage Office. Even if for some reason he didn't sense them, he should at least know they were always there.

"Can we talk in private? This is really important and I'd rather not have an audience around"

Kakashi eyed his former student and one time missing nin from under his bangs. Sasuke was fidgeting. Sasuke never fidgeted. Whatever it was that the last Uchiha wanted to speak to him about, it must be important. He briefly considered what would be so important that he displays visible signs of nervousness in front of the man he almost never showed any signs of fear (or respect, the brat) in front of. He would have teased him, but he could sympathize with being generally aloof and unreadable but having something bothering you so greatly it manifests physically. Of course for normal people simply fidgeting would simply be considered nervousness, but for someone like Sasuke, it meant something was troubling him greatly. This only strengthened his resolve to help Sasuke in whatever problem he was facing to the best of his abilities.

He may have failed team 7 as a sensei in their youth, but he resolved to be a much better Hokage to them. He raised his hand to dismiss his guard, albeit they seemed reluctant to leave him with the last Uchiha (Yugao in particular seemed rather upset at the easy acquiescence to the former traitor's request, but she'd become very protective of those closest to her ever since Hayate's passing. He'd have to make it up to her later). He put his beloved manuscript down and gave Sasuke his full attention.

Rather than beginning the conversation himself, he decided to give Sasuke time to gather his thoughts. He seemed uncertain, and he knew that prodding him for information at this point would prove unproductive. So while Sasuke had his internal battle, Kakashi simply waited for him patiently, giving him his full attention.

"I proposed to Sakura" He finally said, after few minutes of silence.

Kakashi made a great show of hiding his surprise. Sasuke actually proposed? Sure, he and Sakura had began a sort of romance after she accompanied him on his latest journey (Sakura has written to him in great detail about it, get could practically hear her squeal of delight when he read the letters), but he didn't think Sasuke was so committed that he would make such a life changing decision.

"Congratulations, Sasuke." He said warmly. In return Sasuke gave him a rare smile, small as it may have been.

"Arigato." He replied. "I'm going to to settle down here for a while. Actually, I plan to fully reintegrate into Konoha. And I know just how to go about it."

"Oh? How so?"

"Since I started my redemptive journeys" Sasuke responded, "I've been thinking alot."

"About what?"

"Life, death, the future... Many things. I've been coming to terms with what Itachi did and why he did it. He saw that many of the Uchiha were consumed by their bitterness, and would only be toxic to the village as a whole. He wanted a future for the Uchiha where we could be one with the village and be at peace with each other. As his younger brother, I carry his will to an extent. So I feel partially responsible for the potential future that Itachi wanted so desperately to see come to pass. I want the same future Itachi wanted for the Uchiha, what happened that night should never happen again. But, I'm not stupid, I know I'm still far from being trusted by Konoha as a whole despite being a member of Team 7 and a student of the highly regarded Kakashi Hatake, man of 1000 jutsus and beloved Rokudaime" Kakashi rolled his eyes at the sarcastic tone his voice had taken when describing him. "So I know to change their minds, and to prevent any potential backlash to future Uchiha, I want to settle down back here in Konoha. The Uchiha district will no longer be closed off, and I'll do my best to be involved in Konoha affairs as clan head and be a good husband to Sakura and father to our future children. I don't want my children to bear the brunt of my mistakes."

Kakashi eyed him for a while, expression unreadable until he finally leaned back on his chair and sighed. "The sins of the father can be a great burden to children." He muttered under his breath with something akin to sadness evident in his eyes. Sasuke wondered what Kakashi was talking about, knowing the expression on his ex sensei's face well enough to discern that Kakashi was speaking from experience but before he could question him, Kakashi seemingly recovered quickly and turned on him.

"That's very noble of you, Sasuke. It's not easy to reestablish a connection with the village after your clan's history with the village and your own."

"I know it won't be easy, but sometimes the best things in life are worth fighting for."

"How sagely of you, Sasuke-kun!" Kakashi said teasingly as Sasuke's visible eye twitched in irritation "but I have questions. This decision seems to be heavily based on Itachi's will. Admirable as it may be, it's unhealthy to base a marriage on the desires of others. What is it exactly YOU want from all this? Why Sakura? And you still haven't asked me that important question." Kakashi's tone had, without him realizing, taken on a more lecturing, or 'sensei' tone. Sasuke wondered how Kakashi would react if he informed him that the tone suited him.

"There was one night when I was in the Land of Iron with Sakura. She'd been reminiscing on our early genin days. She asked me what our past selves would think of us now if they could see us. I told her they'd probably both be pleased, as she became a world renown iryo nin and I succeeded in killing Itachi." Sasuke's countenance took on a more contemplative look. "She asked me what advice I'd give my past self as far as dreams go. I told her I wouldn't change a thing, because that is the path I was meant to walk. And that this way the Uchiha Clan would die with me because of our Curse of Hatred. She told me she had no noteworthy dreams when she was young. That she was just going along with everyone else. She said she after I left with Orochimaru and Naruto left with Jiraiya she knew she had to find her own purpose. She said sometimes people think that their destiny is set in stone, or that they think they are where they deserve to be so they make no moves to change their circumstances. She told me she doesn't believe in destiny, because she had to decide hers and chase it." He looked wistful at this point, not noticing the knowing look on Kakashi's face. "I thought about that for a while. About whether I could really change fate, if fate wasn't set in stone. That's the first time I started looking at Sakura differently. She'd gone from a pathetic fangirl and deadweight teammate-" blunt as always "-to a wise and brilliant medical ninja. I thought, maybe, that I could also reinvent myself for the better. I began to talk to Sakura more after that. We developed a bond, and one thing led to another."

Kakashi hummed, seemingly satisfied. "Well, as long as your sure then you have my blessing. Both of you." He gave his signature eye smile, which Sasuke returned. Suddenly, Sasuke's smile disappeared, and nervousness coloured his face.

"About that thing I wanted to ask you..." Kakashi rested his chin on his clasped hands and stared at him evenly. "Yes?"

Sasuke wrung hid hands awkwardly, while Kakashi stared at him patiently knowing that whatever it was Sasuke wanted to ask was probably a bit uncomfortable for him. Maybe he wanted him to marry them? As Hokage he did have that power, and Sasuke would probably be worried that he'd make some embarrassing speech about his genin days, or-

"Kakashi-Sensei." S _ensei?!_ Damn, this was serious. Whatever it was, he knew it had to be important.

"I'd like to attend the ceremony..." Well of course he'd be there! His adorable little brats (who aren't as adorable as they used to be) were getting married. What kind of sensei- "...as my father."

Kakashi blinked. Well that was _definitely_ not what he was expecting.

Sasuke was now looking intently at him. He knew he had to answer him, nut he was so caught off-guard. Slowly a look of disappointment and understanding crossed Sasuke's face. He bowed at Kakashi. "Thank you for your blessing, Kakashi-Sensei."

 _Wait, what?_ "Sasuke-"

"I'll need to go tell Naruto anyways." He told me before Naruto?

"Sasuke, what about that request? Don't you want an answer?"

Sasuke shrugged. "It's ok. You don't have to explain to me."

"Explain?"

"I know we didn't leave on the best of terms, and there's a lot unresolved between us. Besides, you're the Hokage. I'm still not fully trusted by the general public. I understand you not wanting to be seen with me that way."

Kakashi now understood. He held a hand up to Sasuke. "Sasuke. I'd be honored to attend as your father."

Now it was Sasuke's turn to look confused. "Huh? But I thought-"

"-that I was still bitter at you? That I'd be ashamed of you?" Sasuke didn't respond, but the small flinch get gave said it all. "Sasuke, it's not like that. I wasn't quiet because I didn't want to. I was just surprised you'd want me to fill such a role on your big day. Forgive me if I implied otherwise."

Sasuke's expression went from confused to hopeful. "So that's a 'yes' then?"

"Maa, I can't just leave my adorable little genin by himself on his big day!"

"I'm not little anymore."

"Still a genin."

"A mere technicality you exploited because you thought it'd be funny to see other genin's reaction to potentially facing either of us, Kakashi." _back to just Kakashi then_ , Kakashi sweatdropped. "Don't you have a knucklehead ninja to tell?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at Kakashi's casual dismissal of his accusation. He walked out of the door, but paused at the doorway. He turned around and smiled at Kakashi. "Thanks, Kakashi-Sensei."

"Any time, brat."

Kakashi put him arms behind his head leaned back on his chair with a pleased sigh. Even though he and Sasuke's relationship had been rocky to say the least, he still sought him out for such an honor. With him staying in the village, Sakura's job at the hospital keeping her in the village more often than not and Naruto sticking around to shadow Kakashi was to learn about being Hokage, perhaps there was hope yet for Team 7 to become a proper team once more. He smiled as he heard the distant yell of 'CONGRATULATIONS, TTEBAYO!'. Yes, it was good to have all his brats back together.


End file.
